Road Trip
by LacedWithStardust
Summary: 'The idea was that seeing the great, historical wilderness of Canada over two weeks with half of your student body would magically make everyone fall in love with each other.' Eclare
1. Chapter 1

Clare ran one last hand through her hair, sweeping her bangs and tucking them behind her ear before taking a breath and stepping out of her Mother's car, swinging her suitcase behind her. She promised to be good to her mom one last time, thankful when she turned and drove away.

_Out of sight, out of mind._

In front of her stretched out three buses, a large group of students, and Mr. Simpson, looking frazzled and confused. With a sharp intake of breath, Clare prepared herself.

When Mr. Simpson had suggested a "Peace Mission" across Canada to help even out the harsh feelings after Vegas Night, it hadn't been received well. But after some persuasive (more like pleading) arguments, Mrs. Torres and the rest of the school board had agreed.

Tentatively.

The idea was that seeing the great, historical wilderness of Canada over two weeks with half of your student body would magically make everyone fall in love with each other. It was far-fetched to say the least and no one really wanted to go, but, as Mr. Simpson had kindly pointed out, it was worth half your semester's grade.

Needless to say, everyone was going.

And that included, thought Clare with a mild shudder, her "boyfriend," Eli. (Though, really, how can you call him that? They hadn't spoken in a week.)

Shaking her head, Clare was determined to forget about him. Or at least not think too hard about him.

Not now, at least.

_It was going to be a long two weeks._

**-x-**

Eli pulled into the parking lot of Degrassi, seeing the front of the school filled with buses and students alike. Everyone seemed busy and confused. He expected to see excitement in some of their faces, but found it in not so many.

Previously Eli had cleared with Mr. Simpson that he would be driving Morty for their trip. The principal was hesitant to agree, but said he was short on bus seats anyways, making Eli's proposal easy to accept.

After parking, he headed into the mob to find the principal, Eli needed to let him know he had arrived. After Vegas night, the school staff was on pins and needles, keeping all students on short leashes. After checking in, Eli headed back to the hearse.

On the way, he saw Clare, who had just been dropped off by her mother. Eli's heart skipped, he hadn't spoken to Clare all break. He sucked up his worries, and headed over to the girl whom he still called girlfriend.

"Clare," He said, getting her attention. "How are things?" Eli wasn't much for conversation. After all, what could you really say to a beautiful girl, who possibly had a burning hatred for you?

Hearing a familiar, low voice behind her, Clare turned sharply, almost knocking him over.

"E-Eli. Hi. I've been... alright." She decided her words carefully, they felt thick and fake in her mouth. She gave him a long once-over, taking in his dishevelled hair, the darkness around his eyes, and the awkward fidgeting of his spindly fingers. A pang shot through her heart.

Clare was still mad, sure, but with her, sadness was more prominent. She just wanted to bury herself in his chest and forget about everything else, but with everything else, it seemed like the wrong thing to do. So instead, she busied herself with adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag.

Eli watched her nervously fidget with her carry on, "You don't sound alright, Clare." He wasn't going to take a fake answer; he could tell she was upset.

"I'm fine, Eli." She insisted, her eyes on the ground, lip caught between teeth. "How're you?"

Deciding to leave it alone for now, he didn't force her reply. "I've been keeping myself busy," He said, which was true. If he didn't keep himself distracted, he would be found staring at the phone, alone in his room. Eli had wished his phone to ring, but never was the wish granted. It worried him, not knowing how Clare was.

As she stood in front of him, he smiled, not for any reason but the girl he was looking at. "Listen," Eli said, with a sigh. "Did you want to take the first leg of this journey with me? I'm sure we have a bit to talk about, and I'm not going to be on the bus," Eli gestured towards Morty, parked beyond the fence.

Thankful that he didn't force her to reply, she nodded. The prospect of alone time with Eli was tantalizing in the worst and best ways ever; part of her wanted it, part of her feared it. She needed answers, though, so she responded.

"That sounds a lot better than being stuck on the bus listening to Alli moan about Drew and Jenna gripe about her pants not fitting." Said Clare with a slight blush, not meaning to insult her friends, but finding it came easily.

What was it about Eli that brought out the truth in her?

"I just have to sign in with Mr. Simpson," she said, gesturing to their principal. "I'll be right back."

She didn't let him respond, just tersely walked to Simpson, her heart racing.

Two hours. With Eli. Alone.

While Clare signed in with Simpson, Eli headed over to his parking space and leant against the hearse. He wasn't sure if Clare would be allowed to ride with him, so he kept an eye on their conversation. Eli could see it was mostly smiles and nods, coming from both Clare and Principal Simpson.

After she was done their exchange, Clare took note of where Eli was, and walked over. He took stretching his hand out, offering to take her bag, and suitcase. There was plenty of room in the back of the hearse. "Is he okay with you riding in the big, scary, death mobile?" He teased her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure he's just wondering where Saint Clare went."

As Eli pulled her bag from her hands, their fingers brush, sending an involuntary shudder up her spine. Looking away, she blushed. Now was not the time to be rethinking all this. She was mad at him, right? Clare coughed awkwardly, hoping her infatuation wouldn't show.

Eli smirked as their hands brushed, making Clare avert her face. He could tell she was blushing, trying to hide it under a cough.

He opened the door for Clare, then headed to the back to put her things away. In the back of the hearse he had a small bag of his own monotone clothing, as well as a pillow and blanket. Eli figured if things didn't go right, he could always sleep in the hearse. Sure it would be a bit cold, but it wouldn't have been the first time.

He walked to driver's side door and let himself in. Looking over at the mob, they started filing into their respective buses. "Clare," He said, looking over, resting his hands on the wheel, "I'm sorry I didn't call you over break, I didn't think you'd want to speak to me."

"Honestly," she wrung her hands in her lap, trying to find the right words for this moment. "I didn't want to talk to you. But. I got over that. I mean..." her voice shook slightly, and she cursed herself for being so vulnerable. "I missed you too much."

She stopped moving her hands, letting them rest on the dashboard.

Inside, Eli was ecstatic to hear Clare didn't hate him, even missed him. Outside, he simply smiled, looking at her. She looked uncomfortable, like her shield had just come down.

"I missed you too, Clare. A lot," He said, hoping to catch her blush. "I was scared you'd never speak to me again," Eli said, still watching her, taking in her beauty. He didn't feel worthy.

The buses were almost loaded, only teachers remained outside.

At his words, Clare blushed crimson, the familiar tingling heat filling her cheeks that she'd missed so much.

"I was scared for a lot of things." She spoke carefully. They were treading dangerous waters, and she knew she couldn't dive in yet. "But I don't think not talking to you will make anything better."

She wrung her hands again, hating the tension that filled the seemingly wide hearse. She looked outside, desperate for a distraction, and noticed the buses pulling away.

"You should probably, um, get driving." Clare said, not giving him a chance to respond. The hearse didn't have seat belts, so she leaned back and rested her head against the window, wondering when things got so complicated.

Eli broke his steady gaze from Clare, and her burning cheeks. He laughed, mostly at himself, and how easily he became distracted. He pulled out of the parking spot quickly, and followed behind the closest bus.

"What if, talking to me made it better?" He offered his thoughts. "Because, talking to you has made my day," Eli said, trying to be as honest as possible. A lot of the time, Eli had put up a barrier between himself and others. Usually that barrier came down during a fight, or argument, letting nasty thoughts out. This time it was different, he wanted her to know how he felt, about her. There was nothing negative about those feelings.

Clare's heart skipped a few beats at his words; she was unused to this sort of blunt honesty.

"It made your... what?" She asked, feeling like an idiot for her inability to form words.

"You made my day," Eli said, keeping his eyes of the bus in front of him. "Not talking to you, sucks." He went over the words again in his head after speaking; he sure wasn't being as 'wordy' as usual.

Turning in her seat to face him, Clare's blue eyes scanned his face for any signs of humor or lies, but all she could find was the same, open honesty that Eli had sported when he told her about Julia.

Clare's voice cracked with compassion as she responded, "That's exactly how I feel." Her hand covered his tentatively, not wanting to rush or ruin this new found honesty, but craving some feel of his warmth. "But I was really scared. I guess I couldn't handle it- thinking of that." she clarified, her voice cracking again. She was really too emotional for this.

"I'm glad we're on the same page," Eli said, turning to her for a moment. He held her hand, only keeping one on the steering wheel. He smiled at Clare, making sure to keep an eye on the road. Eli was a fairly good driver, but with such a distractingly attractive female in the front seat, why would he want to look at the road?

"When you're ready to talk, you know where to find me," He said, laughing under his breath. "You realize you're like, 3 feet away, right? I don't bite," Eli smirked at Clare, "Actually, you'd probably like that too much."

Clare laughed, genuinely, and then blushed quickly as she realized the truth in his words. His hand was warm in hers and she sent a quick prayer to whoever was listening to her thoughts; it was nice to have things be simple for a bit.

"Talk about what?" fearing too much seriousness, she added with a laugh, "And any closer and you might get us in an accident." There. That should cover up her blush and her awkward fumbling, right?

"Have ye no faith, Saint Clare?" Eli asked sarcastically, smirking. "And you know, Vegas Night." He said, shuddered at the thought of it. He had blocked the night from his mind, not wanting it to drive himself crazy. "It was messed," He said simply, while brushing his thumb along her hand, trying to make her comfortable.

Grateful for his simple gestures, Clare returned his ministrations with that of her own, running the pad of her thumb over his warm flesh- (why was he always so hot?) and debated what to say. Throwing her head back, she groaned.

"Is it wrong that I just want to forget that night ever happened?" She begged, running her free hand through her curls; a frequent habit and sure sign of distress or uncomfort.

"I'm sorry I ever went with Fitz-" she shuddered at his name. "-It should have been perfect, and I feel like I ruined every chance of.. of..." she almost said, of 'us being together,' but her mouth thick as cotton and she shrugged instead. "Of normalcy at Degrassi. I just wish I could have a redo."

"Maybe things will go back to normal," Eli said. "But, was normal really that good?" He asked Clare. Things hadn't been perfect, not for either of them. The only thing that had been going well for Eli, was Clare, and that was put at risk. Things still didn't feel resolved, but he enjoyed having her near, it was all he could ask.

Clare bit her lip, unable to answer. _Somehow_, a voice within her said, _life with Eli- friends or otherwise, would never be normal_.

Eli nodded towards to dash at a small pile of maps and other papers.

"What's on the agenda for today?" He asked. Simpson had given them a list of landmarks and locations that needed to be visited. Their first stop was Niagara Falls, where they would be seeing the Skylon Tower, Clifton Hill, and of course, the falls themselves.

**AUTHORS NOTES**

**For those of you who know who CatrienStardust is, that's me. ;D I hope you guys enjoy this, it's a bit different but it's been so much fun.**

**-Catrien**

**Yo, it's Lacy :) You know, Liekomgz? Yeah, me. I'm super stoked on doing this story with my bestest twitter lady, Catrien. I love her, and she loves me. Please consider this to be our first child. :)**

**-Lacy**


	2. Chapter 2

"Normal was getting good." Clare said without thinking.

Embarrassed, she fiddled with her purity ring and decided it was best to address Eli's second question, instead. "Niagara Falls, I think. Among other things." She continued. "How does that qualify as academic? Whatever. You ever been?"

"Once," Eli said, turning to shoot Clare a quick smile. "The Dead Hand played a show here a year or two ago. It was epic." He laughed, "Or, Pandemic, as Sav would say." He had only been to two Dead Hand shows, one of which he went to with Sav.

"What about you, hun?" He asked, trying to slip 'hun' in there as smoothly as possible. He looked down at her hand, which had become relaxed. Her skin was soft and dainty, like porcelain.

She cracked a smile at Eli's cool and collected use of an endearment- that simple three-letter word which infused new hope in her. Maybe things were going to be okay, after all.

"Dead hand, huh?" she smiled fondly, remembering the tales of their "epic" run-in with freedom and crime a few weeks back. "Should have guessed. As for me..." her voice trailed off slightly, and when she spoke again, it was slightly faint. "I went with my family, a few years back." Pause. "Okay, more then a few. I was in... junior high? It was me, my dad, my mom, my grandma, and my sister, Darcy." A faint smile adorned her lips, despite the fact that she shouldn't be reminiscing. It wasn't healthy at times, really.

"I don't remember a lot about the trip, other then it rained the whole time, except on our last day. Those were the good days, though."

Realizing she was rambling, Clare abruptly closed her mouth. "Sorry. I ramble a lot. Feel free to shut me up." She laughed meekly.

"Nah," He said shaking his head and smirking. "You're interesting, like a radio." He laughed, hoping that sounded as good out loud as it did in his head. He often thought about things he was saying to Clare. Eli always made sure to push her buttons, especially the good ones. He lived for her blush, and feigned for her smile.

Clare raised an eyebrow, a smile perking up the corners of her lips. "A radio? That's new, thanks."

"You haven't told me much about your sister," Eli said, not being sure if it was a tough subject. He'd know Darcy's name, but that was the extent of it. How was he to know if she was ill, or even passed away.

She paused. Darcy was practically her own novel. "Darcy was... my parent's dream. Think me, times twenty. She was beautiful, Christian, good and pure, with morals." Her breath hitched. "Then, she was- I mean, she was- well, raped. At a party. They never caught him, he just drugged her drink. She lost everything." Another shaky breath. "Tried suicide, lost her morals. My parents were devastated. Eventually, with the help of Peter Stone, she got back on track. But nothing was home; she needed a purpose again." Clare ran a hand through her hair. "She left for Kenya pretty abruptly. She writes, sometimes. She seems happy though."

Clare paused, feeling as if she'd said too much, but felt the need to add a last note.

"After Darce left, my parents turned to me. I'm good, I don't cause trouble, my parents count on me to get good grades and accompany them to dinner parties." she shrugged. "In some ways, Darcy got it easy."

Eli could tell Clare loved her sister, but was a bit bitter towards her. Maybe not to Darcy, but to how her parents thought of Darcy. "That's heavy," He said, plainly. Eli was surprised to hear most of that. He respected Clare more now, and her morals. "I'm sure your parents know you're a good kid," He searched his mind for something to say. He chuckled, "Do they know about me?" He thought for a second, squeezing her hand, "About us?"

The squeeze of her hand made her dizzy in a mildly pathetic way. "About us? What's there to tell, really? Mom knows there was a boy. She could guess. My Dad doesn't care so much. Anything else... They don't know."

"Was?" Eli asked, loosening his grip on her hand. He wondered if maybe he had messed things up again. "Are we past tense now?" He asked, looking over to the girl beside him, trying not to show how he felt.

A sinking feeling settled in Clare's stomach as she realized what she'd said. "Oh no, Eli, I didn't mean-" She gripped his hand tighter, not letting him pull away. "Not unless that's what you want, I was just... not thinking."

Eli felt a pang in his heart as Clare held tight onto his hand. Sure he was upset at her use of past tense, but he was more worried he had upset her. "That is so far from what I want, Clare," He said shaking his head at the thought. "I just meant, we're still together, right?" He asked, hopefully.

He looked out the window, seeing a sign reading 'Niagara Falls 15', meaning they only had 15 kilometers to go, quick would probably only take around 20 minutes, depending on traffic.

"Of course we're still together." Clare said simply, the words causing an infectious spread of smiling warmth to her toes. This was right. They'd been through hell, and deep, somewhere inside, she was still hurt, but this was Eli. He knew her, understood her, and accepted her still. Right now, she could use someone on her side- a team mate.

Niagra Falls was swiftly approaching, and the realization hit Clare with a wave of sadness. Moments like this, with Eli, seemed scarce and stolen.

Then again, a voice told her, they had two weeks to go.

She relaxed, taking a deep breath and settling into the seat, stealing glances at the dark-haired boy beside her with a smile on her face.

Eli smiled, he was glad he was still Clare's. He watched Clare smiled and stared at him. He pretended not to notice right away. He raised her hand to his mouth, kissing the top of it. "Then I guess the next two weeks are going to be pretty good," Eli smiled. "Who are you rooming with at the hotel?" He asked.

Clare's lips twitched in a very Eli-inspired smirk."You're right. Just 'pretty good' though. Don't get your hopes up. And I don't know. It's a two-person room, and Alli really wants to be with Jenna."

She shrugged. "I hadn't much thought about it. You?"

Eli smirked, having a plot in his head. "Would you think me inappropriate if I asked to room with you?" He wasn't sure if it was even allowed, but the rooms did have two beds, right? He wasn't sure about that. When he had received the trip details, he merely skimmed over them. All he had known was that Clare would be going, which meant it was where he wanted to be.

They came upon another sign, seeing there was only 5 kilometers left.

Her pulse rushed at Eli's words. "Me... with you?" She sputtered out, a flush rising from her chest. Before she thought clearly about it, she found herself nodding enthusiastically. "No, I wouldn't find it, um, inappropriate. I'd like that." Her thoughts raced. It's not a big deal; there are two beds, right?

Suddenly she wished she'd paid more attention to the details.

"Do they even let boys and girls bunk together?"

"I hope so," He said, with a smirk. If he wasn't able to share a room with Clare, he would probably be with Adam, not that it would have been a bad thing. "He let you be alone with me in a car, so that's got to count for something, right?" He said, mostly trying to convince himself. "Plus, you're a saint and everything."

Clare let out a short snort, the contrast of his words jarring together in an ironic way. He was asking her to bunk with him... by telling her she was a saint? She smiled appreciatively, despite it, and stroked his hand a little thoughtfully.

For the first time in two weeks, things felt right again.

"I have a feeling they will. Especially since I have a feeling we're going to be the last ones there. Speaking of which- how much longer until the falls?"

He pointed to the sky, "See that fluffy cloud right there?" Clare nodded at him. "Well, it's not a cloud. It's the mist from the falls." Eli smiled, feeling like he had taught her something.

Eli slowed down his speed slightly, liking Clare idea of being the last to arrive. Maybe she hadn't meant for him to try and be late, but he decided it would be a fine idea.

They approached busier streets, each connecting to another. It was hard to keep track of the buses. In the busiest part of town, he inched up the hill, seeing tourists all around. The buses were about a block ahead of them, and at the rate the traffic was moving, he wouldn't reach them for another five minutes.

He sighed and sat back comfortably, waiting for movement. He watched Clare, looking around wildly, trying to take everything in. They were on Clifton Hill, and everything was bright lights, and flashing. People were everywhere, and every store was a tourist trap.

Seeing her so excited made him happy. It wasn't he who provided this excitement, but he was glad to be sharing the moment with her.

They arrived at the hotel as the students finished unloading from their buses. Eli and Clare sat in the hearse waiting for everyone to make their way inside. As the last student entered, Principal Simpson stood at the entrance with his clip board. He looked down the list, then looked around worried. When he saw the hearse, he waved us over.

"Damn," Eli said with a sigh. He turned to the girl beside him, "I'm sure we can still find a way to room together." he said, smiling at her. Eli got out of the car, hurrying to Clare's side to open the door. He took her hand and they walked together to Simpson.

Clare noted that Mr. Simpson's eyes widened slightly at their intertwined hands, but if he was surprised past that, he didn't share so verbally. Instead, he threw his hands up in a frazzled way and smiled apologetically.

"Guys, there aren't enough rooms, and everyone seems to be paired up already." He gestured to the students, dispersing to their respective rooms. "Are you two comfortable with, uh, boarding together?" He asked. "It won't half to be the whole trip, just for this hotel. And there are separate beds, of course."

Clare suppressed a snort and, were she to look over at Eli, she knew he'd be smirking. How did this work out so perfectly? Clare looked past Mr. Simpson's figure to her best friend Alli, who had her arm slung through Jenna's and was winking in an over-obvious way. Somehow Clare was sure this hadn't been an accident.

"It's fine with me." Said Clare in a way she hoped was nonchalant.

Without waiting for Eli's response, Mr. Simpson grinned. "Great. Now, despite the events that took place during Vegas Night, I trust you two. I know you're both good kids." He clapped Eli's shoulder in a rather awkward fashion and handed Clare a key. "It's room 211. You guys have half an hour before we're leaving for the Falls. Be downstairs by then, please?"

Clare nodded and, beaming, Mr. Simpson hurried away to talk to Drew and Adam.

"Amazing how that worked." murmured Clare.

"I think Alli may have helped us out," He said, pointing towards her. Eli smirked. "You head up to the room, and I'll go get our things out of the hearse."

He kissed her on the cheek and headed out to Morty. He opened the back, grabbing Clare's suitcase, as well as his bag. He hadn't packed many things. A few T-shirts, some sweaters, and 4 pairs of jeans. Eli had a strong belief that jeans never got dirty, only more comfortable. He closed the hearse, locking it up. He wasn't too familiar with the city, and didn't want Morty to be at any kind of risk.

**So, this collaboration has reached chapter two. Oh yes, be very excited. I know I am. 3**

**-Catrien**

**I noticed someone asked if we write the chapters together, or alternate. We write them together :)**

**-Lacy**


	3. Chapter 3

Clare made her way to room 211, and, once arriving, she chose the bed closest to the window. The room was warm, so Clare shrugged out of her cardigan and sat gingerly on the stiff comforter, a million and a half thoughts going through her mind.

It'd been a long week, and part of her wondered how she'd gotten here, about to share a room with Eli.

Unwillingly, shivers raced down her spine.

A quick knock pulled her out of her thoughts, and into the room entered Eli, pulling her suitcase along behind him. He looked cheerful, if not a little tired, and the way his sideways lips twisted into a grin made her smile.

"Your things, Milady," He said, setting her suitcase beside her on the bed she had chosen.

"Good to know that chivalry's not dead." Clare joked.

Eli sat down beside Clare, feeling nervous. "Guess not," He said. He kept his eyes on her, wanting to kiss her. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to yet, or if he'd ever be allowed again.

Checking his cell phone, he saw they still had 20 minutes before they had to be downstairs. Eli sigh and flopped back on Clare's bed. He was pretty tired from the drive, but now wasn't the time to be crashing. He would sleep later, after his day with Clare. Why would anyone want to sleep instead of hanging out with their girlfriend?

Clare felt cooler as Eli moved away from her, and her heart sank a little. She wasn't going to push, but Eli had been so distant, withdrawn. She felt as if he were avoiding doing simple things like kissing her, and that stung.

She watched as Eli impatiently checked his phone, and she guessed that they wouldn't have too much longer until Simpson requested their presence. Clare laid back next to Eli, intertwining her fingers with his cooler ones. Clare fiddled with a ring on his finger before asking, "Are you tired?"

Eli rolled onto his side, letting go of Clares hand. He played with one of her curls while speaking, "sleep is for the weak." He smiled, feeling like Clare wanted to be closer. She was beautiful and it was killing him.

Swallowing his pride, Eli leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He paused afterwords, half expecting her to run out of the room.

"Y-Yeah." Clare's heart thudded painful as he slowly twisted a curl around his finger, before moving closer, and closer, and...

All too soon the warmth from his lips fled her, and, shocked, her eyes opened, taking in his unreadable expression. He seemed to be waiting- but for what? She was right here. With an out-of-character confidence she didn't know she had, she moved closer to him, pressing her lips against his chapped ones a little too tentatively.

Eli welcomed her lips, moving his hand onto her waist. He deepened the kiss, not letting Clare be the dominant one anymore. He parted their lips for a minute, "I'm so glad you're kissing me again." Eli crashed his lips against hers again, kissing her more passionately. He moved his body closer to hers, smiling beneath their kiss. He continued kissing her, not wanting to stop until he had to. He didn't want to push things, but he couldn't really help himself.

Clare returned the kiss as eagerly as she could- but when Eli's hand drew her closer by her waist, she knew she'd lost. Kissing Eli was intoxicating, and her thoughts felt like helium. Suddenly nothing mattered but the proximety of their bodies and the places their lips touched. Eli pulled away, muttering something about being glad to kiss her again, but she could only whimper a little in response. She hadn't kissed him in ages, it felt like, and neither of their kisses had been like this. She felt the temperature rising, and, feeling bold, she moved a hand up to rest at his neck, securing him against her lips and feeling the strands of his hair.

Their room was getting warmer, but Eli didn't care. As Clare put her hand on his neck, goosebumps grew under his skin. As their tongues dances, Eli stroked his thumb against the material of her shirt, moving it up so he could feel the soft skin underneath.

At just the feathery brush of Eli's thumb against her skin, Clare had to clench her eyes to stop from moaning aloud. It sounded so inexperienced in her eyes- that the smallest, stupidest of touches could catapult her senses into an overdrive. Eli was warm and fluid, and he felt perfect against her. When Eli bit her lip, she couldn't repress the moan, and made a small, verbal sound from the back of her throat. Their proximity was now officially so extreme that she couldn't function, this was really real.

He lightly bit Clare's bottom lip, peaking through his eyelids to observe her beautiful expressions. He kept his smirk on, having far too much. There was no space left between them.

As he bit her lip she let out a small moan, sending a wave over his body. Eli moved his hand a bit farther up, under her shirt, kissing her even deeper (if that was even possible). Her moan set him off, on a mission to hear another. He removed his lips from hers and kissed her on the cheek, then slowly kissed her on the neck. He sucked on her skin softly, waiting for her to vocalize her pleasure again.

"Clare," Eli whispered, breathing against her neck. He bite down lightly on her skin.

Eli's hand was rough, and when it ticked the bottom of her bra, she froze, her breathing coming faster, and heavier. She'd never been this intimate with anyone before, and somehow, she never factored in the fact that it would feel this good. His lips traced a trail to her throat, and when he sucked on the skin there, she really did moan, she couldn't help it. The heat that resulted from his ministrations was unlike any she'd experienced before, and somehow she couldn't help but give into it.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, an angelic voice reminded her of the vow on her ring finger, but somehow that didn't apply here. She liked Eli- a lot, and this didn't feel like a vile act, it felt right. Besides, nothing was going too far. Yet.

He traced the bottom of her bra with his thumb, not wanting to cross any boundary lines. He kissed her neck softly one more time, moving his attention back to her lips.

Eli became aware of the time, or rather, that he had no idea what time it was. He didn't want to stop, Clares kiss was a drug, one that he didn't want to be cleansed of. Moving his hand up, he cupped one of her breasts in her hand. He kissed her softly, opening his eyes to meet hers. He wanted to know that this was okay.

When he moved up to touch her... further, Clare lost it. She bit her lip and arched slightly into his hand, feeling amateurish but also very dazed and heated. She wanted nothing more then to feel him on her forever.

Watching Clare arch her back, and bite her lip, sent a shock through Eli. The pleasure felt like lightning, shooting down his spine. He wanted more, and knew she did too.

And that was the exact second Clare's phone rang. Clare jumped, pulling out of Eli's arms to stand on her feet. It was a text from Alli, saying that they were all waiting in the lobby, and Clare blushed. Not turning towards Eli, she managed to squeak, "We need to go."

Eli sighed and stood to his feet, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. He kissed her on the neck, and whispered into her ear, "Ready for some romantic sight seeing?" He said, trying to make his voice sound smooth as silk.

He let her loose, and walked opened up his bag of clothing. "You should put on a sweater, it's chilly near the falls," Eli said, pulling out a striped sweater. He put it on, and turned back to Clare, who was still standing there, looking awkwardly at her cell phone.

After she finally found a sweater to put on, Eli took her hand and they left their room, headed to the elevator.

"Okay, now the whole party is here," said as they exited the elevator into the foyer of the hotel. He checked something on his clipboard of paper. "Let's start our trek down to the falls. We will be walking straight down Clifton Hill, that's the street we're already on." He said, pointing is pen toward the door. "Stick together, we don't need anyone getting lost on our first stop."

The students herded out the hotel doors, and started down the street. Everyone was in a large mob, having teachers scattered throughout. Eli held Clares hand, making sure she wouldn't get sucked into the crowd.

Walking down the street being only allowed to hold Eli's hand was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do. Not only was more... explicit memories clouding her thoughts, but every so often Eli would glance over and smirk, and she'd just blush harder. She hated that about herself, but she couldn't stop blushing.

Behind them, she heart Alli giggling happily, and Clare rolled her eyes at the fact that her best friend was probably gloating about how her brilliant plan worked.

"I think we're being watched." Clare murmured. Overhead, the sky was a deep blue and the sun shone, but past that, not much helped to warm the cool weather.

When Eli heard the giggles coming from behind them, he wanted to give them something to look at. He wondered what reaction they would receive if they started to continue where they had left off a few minute ago. What would they say if he were to lean her against a building, and lift up her shirt? He smirked to himself, as they walked down Clifton Hill.

The walk to the falls didn't take too long, and soon Clare found herself herded into a group by Mr. Simpson.

"Okay, head check. And everyone partner up. I don't want anyone going anywhere without a buddy."

Clare turned to Eli and grinned. "Buddy?"

The students all herded around Simpson, as he did a had check. Clare turned to him and asked if he wanted to be buddies with her. She had a huge smile on her face, looking adorable. "If you want to call it that," He said, releasing her hand, and wrapping his arm around her shoulder, and smiling at her.

Once Simpson was done, he handed out a sheet of questions. Even though this was a fun trip, they had to incorporate as much work as possible. The school board wouldn't allow a purely fun trip across the country.

Eli folded up his work sheet and slipped it into his pocket, he would do it later. They walked along the pathway, looking for a spot to get a good view. There was more people there than there had been on the hill. They finally found a place between an Indian family, and a young Chinese couple.

Clare sat down next to Eli, looking out over the falls with a look of awe. She'd never seen anything like this; the sun so bright and the water so wild and alive. For a moment she sat, transfixed. Beside her, she heard Eli chuckle, but she ignored him. This was too beautiful.

Sometime during her gaze, her hand slipped to Eli's, and her body slumped against his. With a slight blush, remembering their kiss earlier, she turned to him. "This is okay, right?"

Eli smirked, "Is what okay?" He couldn't fathom what could possibly be wrong. He was sitting there, with the girl of his dreams, in front of one of the most beautiful places in the world. This was more than okay.

The mist from the water fall was floating all around them, making their skin moist. He kissed her on the forehead, waiting for her reply. Eli was hoping she was enjoying the moment as much as he was.

Clare blinked as a drop of water was flung by her eye, and the feeling of his lips on her forehead just made her happier and happier.

"Nothinng. I have no clue what I was talking about, really." She murmured, settling further into the crook of his arms. Even with Degrasi seemingly in pieces and half the student body hating each other, things seemed relatively peaceful right now. Adam and Fiona were laughing about something a few feet away, and even Drew and Alli seemed to be having a tentative conversation, squeezed in by a picnic table. For a second, Clare allowed herself to breathe in a feeling of belonging, because here, with Eli, it really seemed to be the case.

Eli raised an eyebrow, knowing that she was fibbing. But, it didn't matter to him. He was happy and comfortable, for the first time in over a week.

His bully was in jail, his girl was leaning on his shoulder, and his best friend was laughing happily in the background. All of that, plus the scenery, made this a 'kodak moment'.

Principal Simpson came up beside us, "Enjoying the view, kids?" He asked. Eli wasn't sure if he was be sarcastic, seeing as neither of them were doing any of their work.

"It's beautiful," Eli said, looking at Clare, then back to Simpson.

"It really is something." added Clare. Then, seeing the irritability in Simpson's face, she quickly added. "And a great opportunity to learn. I mean, just think that this formed during the last phase of the ice age. It's fascinating."

She tilted her voice at the end, trying to sound genuinely interested. Simpson seemed to buy it, because he nodded and said, "Just make sure you two complete the worksheet."

Once he was safely out of hearing range, Clare let out a laugh. "Wow."

"Good job," Eli said with smirk. "You have the Principal convinced that you're a text book now," He teased.

Making sure the teachers and principal weren't in view, Eli pulled Clare closer. He gave her a passionate kiss, rivaling the one they had shared in their hotel room. After parting their lips he smirked, and turned back to the waterfall, nonchalantly.

When Eli's lips touched hers, Clare froze, not expecting the kiss and certainly not expecting the passion that came with it. Then, all too soon, it was over. When Eli pulled away, she let out a short whimper that, though she tried to keep it quiet, she was sure was entirely too audible.

He heard someone giggle in the background, but ignored it. Eli could nearly feel Clare's cheeks reddening beside him.

Blushing, and more so when she heard giggles behind her, Clare cleared her throat. She was sure Adam and Alli were watching them, and that made her feel uncomfortable. "Nice weather we're having." She squeaked.

Eli gave a full on laugh. "Very," He said plainly.

As he turned back to kiss her again, Simpsons started waving students over into the mob again. With a sigh, Eli stood to his feet, pulling Clare put beside him.

They walked over to the group, and listened as the Principal spoke. "We're going to head to our next location in Niagara. We will be taking that," He said, point toward a cart system on the hill, "up to the Skylon Tower. When we get there, we will regroup, and take the bug to the observation deck."

Eli looked at the tall tower in the direction Simpson was pointing. There was a tiny yellow elevator on the outside of it, crawling up like a bug.

**That's right. Steam. We haven't decided if it's going to be M yet, so opinions are always appreciated. REVIEWS ARE LOVELY. 3**

**-Catrien**

**Don't forget to tell us how much you love us. OH, and make sure you read some of our solo works. HEART.**

**-Lacy**


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